More than $39 million earmarked for operating, maintaining site

More than $39 million will flow toward operating and maintaining the Soo Locks and carrying out associated St. Mary’s River projects.

Funding is part of $71 million in discretionary dollars in the Detroit District’s fiscal year 2015 budget earmarked for civil works projects. These include operation and maintenance programs for Great Lakes shipping channels and federal structures, as well as the locks. Included are dollars to be used across the district's jurisdiction in Indiana, Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Money heading north is mostly intended for “routine” lock maintenance and operations, said Lynn Rose, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Visitor centre maintenance and repairs are included and the area will receive a share of more than $16 million for dredging along the St. Mary’s River.

"This is routine every year,” Rose said Tuesday from Detroit.

“Some of the repairs and replacements are different each year, but the dredging and the routine maintenance and operation of the locks, that happens all year.

"That's what's included in there, as well."

Also, $3.7 million will be used to continue monitoring lake levels and water flow throughout the Great Lakes.

“Deliberate attention to the allocation of funds delivers the maximum benefits to commercial navigation, flood risk management, and aquatic ecosystem restoration,” said Lt. Col. Robert Ells, district engineer, Detroit District.

"So what's included in that St. Mary's River/Soo Locks budget includes maintaining and employing and running those locks up there all year,” Rose said.

The Soo Locks visitor centre is open seasonally, but the park is open year-round. The centre is slated to re-open May 11.

Funding is up this time around, compared to the Detroit District fiscal year 2014 budget, which allocated $29 million for the Soo Locks and almost $63 million for Detroit District projects around the Great Lakes.